Radiator-unit and method of producing the same



May 29, 1934. A, c. RECKER RADIATOR UNIT AND METHOD OF PRODUCING THESAME Filed July 17, 1931 Patented lvl-y 29, 1934 RADIATOR-mur ME'rnoD4or PRonucING THE SAME V VAdolph C. Reckr, Oakville, conn.,a.sslgnorto,"The Chase Companies,- Incorporated, Water-- bury, Conn., a corporationl Appliauon July 17, 1931, serinuo. 551,324 f f aclantis.` cl.z9-157.`3)

This invention relates to .an improvement in heat-transfer units andmethods of producing the same, and particularly to that type ofheat-transfer unit consisting of a tubeand a series of fins or plates`mounted thereon andv provided with collarsor sleeves engaging the same.Such units, While commonly referred 'to as radiator units, are usefulina wide variety.` of situations where it is desired to effect thetransfer of heat, such for instance, as heating systems, cooling andrefrigerating apparatus, etc. The lmain object of 4`my present inventionis to provide, at a relatively low cost for manufacture,

. a strong and rugged radiator unit constructed with particularreference to insuring an intimate heat-conductive engagement between thesleeves or collars of the iins or plates and the tube upon which thesame are mounted, to thereby provide for the eicient and effectivetransfer of heat 2 from a fluid in the said tube or tubes, and thecircumambient medium (usually the surrounding air) or vice versal withthe aboveh and other bjects' in view as will appear from the following,my invention consists in a radiator unit characterized by a tubularbody` member; and a series of nor through which the said tubularbody-member extends, and each provided with an offsetting sleeve.

3 or collar formed adjacent its point of junction with with a recess inwhich is installed the outer end l of the sleeve or collar of anadjacent plate-mem' spective outer ends of the said sleeves beingintimately engaged with the inner surface of the said recess in thesleeve of. anadjacent plate-member by being expanded thereinto; wherebythe respective sleeves of the said plate-members are maintained inenegagement with the said tubular bodymember and prevented from flaring.

' My invention further consists in a radiatorelement characterized asabove and having certain other details of construction and combinationsof parts as will be hereinafter described and particularly recited inthe claims.

My invention still further consists in a novel method of manufacturing aradiator-element having a certain sequence of'steps' or operations aswill be hereinafter described and particularly recited in the claims.

In order that the novelty of my'invention may be more fully appreciated,I wish to point out at such practice, while in plate-members theplate-member proper, from which-it offsets` this time that it is. old.practice to assemble a `series ofradiating-plates, each having anoffsetting tubular collar upon atubular body-member, and to secure thesaid fins in place by expandingthe tubular body-member in an effort tosecure intimate engagement between the sleeves of the plates and thetubular body-member, but

many respects superior to other practices, has'been relativelyineffective for the reason that the sleeves or collars of the respectiveplate-members were apt to flare or bell- `mouth into conical form as aresult of the `expanding operation, and thus fail to lie in intimatecontact with the bOdy-inember'as is required lif maximum efliciency isto be had from the element. The difllculty dust mentioned is effectivelyoverconrle'andv obviated by means of my invention, as will be apparentfrom the following.

In thejaccompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a broken view in side elevation of one form which aradiator-element embodying my invention may assume;

Fig. 2 is a broken view inside elevation of the tubular body-memberprior to the assembly of the fins or plates thereupon; 80

Fig. 3 is a face view'of one of the plate-membersdetached, lookingtoward the recessed end ofV its sleeve; g Fig. 4 is a view thereofpartly in edge elevation and partly in transverse section; 8,5

Fig. 5 is a broken view in longitudinal section of the tubularbody-member, showing a series of plates such as is shown in Figs. 3 and4, assembled thereon and prior to the expansion of the bodymember tobring the outer surface thereof in intimate engagement with therespective sleeves of the said plates;

Fig. 6 is a view thereof in transverse section, taken on the line 6-6of'Fig. 5;

Fig. 7' is a. broken longitudinal sectional view corresponding to Fig.5, but showing the relative positions of the parts after an expandingtool has been passed through the body-member; and

Fig. 8 is a transverse sectional -view thereof,

sleeve or collar 12 formed adjacent its point of 110 junction with theplate proper, with an annular outwardly-offset portion 13 providing aninternal annular recess 14 for the reception ofthe outer end of thesleeve of an adjacent fin, as will hereinafter appear.

The tubular-body-member 10 and the series of plates 11 are assembledtogether in any approved manner such, for instance, as sliding the saidplates over the tube, or by first lining up the series of plates 1andpassing the body-member 10 through the aligned sleeves 12, in suchmanner that the outer ends Yof the respective sleeves 12 are nestedwithin the annular recess 14 by the A next adjacent sleeve, in themannershown in Figs. 5 and 6.

With the parts assembled as illustrated in the figures just abovereferred'to, the tubular bodymember is expanded outward by any approvedmeans such, for instance, as the expanding tool 15 indicated bybrokenlines in Fig. 1, to bring its outer surface into intimateengagement with the inner surfaces of the respective sleeves 12 of theplates l1 to insure the maximum heat conductivity between the saidplates and the bodymember 10.

I wish to call particular attention to they. fact that the sleeves 12are prevented from being flared out of intimate contact with thebodymember 10, by reason of their having their outer ends anchoredwithin the recess 14 of an adjacent.

sleeve. Furthermore, when the tubular bodymember 10 is stretched outwardinto engagement with the inner surfaces of the respective sleeves 12, asjust described,'the outer surface 'of the projecting end of each of thesaid sleeves will be also brought into intimate engagement with theVinner surface of the particular recess 14 into which it projects, andthus not only stabilize the plate-member into which it projects, butprovide for the radiation of heat in either direction through the sleeveof one member and the plateportion proper of an adjacent member. Thusnot only does each individual plate transmit heat through theintermediary of its own integral sleeve, but also through the`intermediary of the outer end of the sleeve of an adjacent plate byvirtue ,of the intimate nesting and yassociation referred to.

The outline of the plates 11 maybe polygonal,

as shown, circular or any other desired form..

Also, if desired, the cross-sectional form of the tubular body-member 10may be varied as desired, provided only that the sleeves 12 of theplates installed thereon are appropriately shaped in cross-section andnested before the expanding operation.

It will be appreciated in this connection that an air gap, even of smallextent, provides a relatively-high degree of insulation so that theprevention of any appreciable flaring of the` respective sleeves 12,during the expanding operation, is essential to a high degree of thermalefliciency.

mounted upon said tubular body-member and each having a heat-radiatingfin provided with an inner tubular ,surface and an offsetting,continuous, tubular sleeve; a substantial intermediate tubular area ofthe interior of each sleeve being in intimate, metal-to-metal,flow-pressedtogether contact with the outer surface of said tubularbody-member; the inner tubular surface of each fin where it joins itssleeve, and the adjacent tubular portion of the sleeve, being spacedfrom the outer surf-ace of said tubular body-member; and the tubularfree end portion of the sleeve of each intermediate plate being between,and in intimate, metal-to-metal, flowpressed-together contact with'theouter surface of said tubular body-member and the inner tubular surfaceof a fin and its adjacent sleeve portion which are spaced from thetubular bodymember.

2. The method of making a radiator-unit comprising: providing a tubularbody-member; providing a pluralityl of plates, each having aheatradiating iin provided with an inner -tubular surface and anoffsetting, continuous, tubular sleeve; the diameter of the innertubular surface of each fin `and its adjacent sleeve portion being largeenough to receive the outer tubular surface of the free end portion of.each sleeve.' and the inner diameter of the free end portion of eachsleeve being vof a size to fit upon the tubular body-member;` assemblingsaid plates in a series upon said tubular body-member with the free endportion of the sleeve of each intermediate plate-between the outersurface of thetub'ulai` body-member and the inner tubular surface of afin and its adjacent sleeve portion of an adjacent plate; and subjectingthe interior of the tubular. body-member to an expanding force, toflow-press the outer surface of the tubular body-member into intimate,metal-to-metal contact with a substantial, intermediate, tubular area ofthe interior of each tubular sleeve and to flow-press the outer tubularsurface of the tubular body-member intointimate, metal-tometal contactwith the inner surface of the free end portion of the sleeve of eachintermediate plate and to flow-press the outer surface of each free endportion of the sleeve of each intermediate plate into intimate,metal-to-metal lcontact with the inner tubular surface of a fin and itsadjacent sleeve portion of an adjacent plate.

' ADOLPH C. BECKER.

